BJD Slams BJP-Ruled Odisha Govt for Sharp Decline in CM Popularity Ranking

Bhubaneswar: The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday sharply criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Odisha, pointing to a significant drop in the Chief Minister approval rating.

The latest ‘Mood of the Nation’ survey conducted by India Today ranks Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi as the 8th best-performing Chief Minister in India, with an approval rating of 34.2%, a stark contrast to the consistent top rankings secured by former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during his tenure.

BJD spokesperson Dr. Lenin Mohanty highlighted the decline, stating, “Our leader Naveen Patnaik was consistently adjudged the most popular Chief Minister in Odisha from 2018 to 2024. In contrast, the current Chief Minister’s ranking has plummeted to 8th within just one year of BJP’s governance.

The BJP promised rapid development with their ‘double engine’ model, but Odisha’s standing has slipped dramatically from number one to number eight, the BJD leader said.

Mohanty further accused the BJP government of failing to deliver on its promises.

The BJP government has lost its ability to govern effectively or maintain internal coordination. They misled the people of Odisha with grand promises of progress, but the survey reflects their failure to connect with the masses, he stated.

The India Today survey places Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at the top with a 44.6% approval rating, followed by Chhattisgarh’s Vishnu Deo Sai and Jharkhand’s Hemant Soren in second and third places, respectively. Andhra Pradesh’s Chandra Babu Naidu ranks seventh, while West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee is ninth.